In today’s global economy, manufacturers and logistics providers always look for ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) and real-time location systems (RTLS) are two technologies that can help achieve these goals. This guide will explore how RFID and RTLS can be used to improve manufacturing and logistics operations.
We will also discuss the benefits of using these technologies and provide tips on how to get started.
Improve efficiency: Real-time locating systems (RTLS) technology has been leveraged to improve manufacturing and logistics efficiency for a number of years. For example, in an industry where the supply chain is complex and time is critical, RFID RTLS tags have been used to monitor the location of assets to ensure they are where they should be at any given time. If a manufacturing plant uses conveyor belts to transport parts from assembly to packaging, for example, RTLS tags can be placed on each conveyor belt so that it’s immediately clear if an asset is not where it should be. By avoiding this kind of delay, RTLS can help manufacturers avoid costly mistakes and delays that could damage their reputation or even lead them to miss shipping deadlines.
RTLS forklift solution: Besides, this technology is a superb RTLS forklift solution. That is to say, it uses powerful RFID tags plus related technology to monitor forklifts in real-time. The information is transferred to a computer allowing stakeholder to track and control forklifts activity in their facilities.
Improve asset utilization: By tracking assets in real time, you will know if they are being used efficiently or not. If an employee doesn’t have an order to complete, then there is no need for them to be working on that machine at that time. This means that it will free up a machine for someone else who has an order waiting for completion or some other task that needs completing urgently.
Improve aggregate flow times outcomes:The most fundamental way RTLS technology helps improve the process flow time is by providing the information necessary to understand where processes are slow. This information can identify opportunities to eliminate those bottlenecks and speed up your operations, whether internal, within a single operation or external between operations.
RTLS technology also improves process flow by helping you identify inefficiencies in your processes to optimize them. In many cases, this means increasing the efficiency of workers doing manual tasks through automation or changing how things are done, for example, through better scheduling.
Furthermore, RTLS improves process flow by reducing waiting time, which refers to any period during which someone or something sits idle, waiting for another person or thing before it can continue its job.
RTLS help produces actionable insights around process improvement opportunities: RTLS can help identify opportunities for process improvement, cost reduction, operational efficiency, and operational effectiveness.
Process Improvement: RTLS can provide data on where there is a need to reduce production time and the frequency of errors in your processes. RTLS will also allow you to track which parts are defective or at risk of being defective based on the number of error events occurring in realtime. This information can be used by managers to better understand how their employees are performing their jobs so they can make adjustments when necessary or improve upon existing processes altogether.
Cost Reduction: RTLS provides data on what materials are used most often within your production environment and which departments have low material utilization rates compared with others leading up to waste reduction efforts across facilities such as warehouses.
RTLS improves real-time visibility on all goods involved in a shipment: When you are using RTLS, you will have real-time visibility of the location, condition, and other activity of each asset being transported. This means that you can track your shipments to ensure they are delivered on time and without delay. You can also see what containers are being used for certain shipments and how much space they take up within these containers. This information is invaluable when planning future shipments and making adjustments based on present conditions, such as needing extra space due to increased demand. In addition, having this kind of information means you won’t need to spend money on extra storage space. You’ll know exactly how much inventory has been shipped out already instead.
Cost-effective: RTLS is a cost-effective way to address both manufacturing and logistics challenges
For example, the ability to track equipment automatically can help reduce costs by eliminating unnecessary idle time or equipment damage due to improper handling. It also makes it easier for companies to improve efficiency by optimizing routes, reducing travel times, and improving delivery reliability with real-time visibility into vehicle locations.
RTLS systems also offer benefits in warehouse safety by providing alerts when workers are entering an unsafe zone, improving productivity by keeping inventory stocked at optimal levels, and enabling more accurate forecasting of future demand based on real data gathered from the field.
Key Takeaway
RTLS technology uses RFID to allow devices to communicate with each other via radio waves.It allows the devices to determine their position in space and gives them the ability to transmit data. The tracking of assets can be done in real-time or as a historical record of locations and movements over time. This technology helps improve manufacturing and logistics efficiency by enabling companies to locate specific assets quickly, track equipment history for maintenance purposes, and reduce theft by making it easy for managers or owners to locate lost assets and prevent unauthorized use.
